SouthernGospelBlog.com

Part of the reason I switched to the news website format earlier this year was that I didn’t like the neon green look. I moved back to the blog format at the request of a majority of my readers, but I’m still not happy with the green look.

So this week, I’m going to try out several different looks, probably one a day. Here is number 1; how do you like it?

QuartetFan at Southern Gospel Perspective brings up an interesting topic: Years down the road, who will be the all-star quartet made of people on the road today?

He names Eric Phillips, Bill Shivers (with a nod to Josh Garner), Doug Anderson, and Aaron McCune. That would be a great quartet, no question about it; I’m sold on the abilities of all the singers he names, with the caveat that I haven’t heard yet what makes Bill Shivers shine, though I have no doubt that the numerous people who name him know what they’re talking about.

Here’s my list:

Bass: Christian Davis. I’d put Gene McDonald into that slot if he came back to the road, though.

Baritone: Doug Anderson. I agree with QuartetFan here.

Lead: How young can I go? I’m tempted to go with Arthur Rice, who will be a legend if he sticks around for a few more years. But I think he might be a little too old to satisfy the intent of QuartetFan’s original post, so I’ll go with Ryan Seaton instead.

Tenor:  Eric Phillips. I also agree with QuartetFan here, with one provision.

Especially in the tenor position, but to an extent in any position, the all-star will be more the person who sticks around for 40 years than the person who has the ability. There were a lot of great tenors in the 60s and 70s, but the reason Archie Watkins is making the all-star lists today, more than anything else, is that he’s the one who stuck around. Thus it is completely feasible that tomorrow’s all-star tenor could be one perceived as run-of-the-mill today–but with the persistence to make a lifetime out of Gospel music.